ETHA, Dijon Bring In Reinforcements

Michelin ETHA Engomi and JDA Dijon lost their respective EuroChallenge games at home on Tuesday night but both teams have made additions to their frontcourt in hope of improvement.

ETHA have penned a deal with power forward Aaron Johnson, who has dual Italian-American nationality.

The 29-year-old is no stranger to European hoops. He joined Italian club Virtus Mortara in 2007 and later played for three other Serie B clubs.

He also had brief stints with Murcia in Spain and Liepaja in Latvia.

The Cypriot side will be hoping the 2.03m forward's contribution will be similar to that of his solid 2008/09 season with West-Brabant Giants Bergen op Zoom in the Netherlands, when he averaged 10.3 rebounds in the Dutch Eredivisie.

Johnson started the season in Italy, standing in for injured Zachary Andrews at Montegranaro on a one-month contract.

ETHA, who slumped to a 57-78 defeat to Bursa on Tuesday and are now the only side without a win to their name in Group A, have parted ways with veteran Dragan Ceranic.

The 37-year-old center had five points in two rebounds in the opener at KRKA Novo Mesto and was not on the roster in Tuesday's game.

OWENS BACK TO FRANCE FOR DIJON

American winger Larry Owens was preparing in the summer to play in the French Pro A and the EuroChallenge, after signing a one-year deal with Gravelines-Dunkerque.

The Group G leaders however decided he was surplus to requirements after France international Yannick Bokolo decided to return to the club in early September and the 29-year-old started the season with Ukrainian Superleague outfit Budivelnyk Kiev.

Owens is now back to France and will play in the same competitions, only he will suit up for JDA Dijon instead.

His first experience in Pro A was in 2006/07 season when he averaged 10 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists with Clermont.

He then played in Belgium with Liege and made his NBA debut in 2011 with the San Antonio Spurs.

Later in the same season he also played for Washington Wizards and New Jerset Nets on ten-day contacts.

Owens is the second player to join Dijon late in the season as the French club are trying to balance their roster.

Dijon suffered a shock 76-73 home defeat to Khimik Yuzhne on Tuesday despite leading by as many as 12 points midway through the third quarter.

Fellow American Paul Miller, who signed in late October, had a very discreet presence in the first two EuroChallenge games and played only for ten minutes on Tuesday.